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Jedi Organizations
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide Affiliation Page: The Jedi Throughout The Old Republic Era, the formal organization of The Jedi Order adjusts and changes more frequently than in other eras. Some of these adjustments occur as the Jedi Council attempts to exert more control over the Order, but many are in response to external forces, such as the many wars of the era that directly impact all Jedi. Some organizations included here might be available or fully functional only at specific times. Jedi Academies and Enclaves Throughout this era, Jedi training continues to be largely decentralized. For many, training takes place at academies and enclaves scattered throughout the galaxy. Even though these organizations recognize the direction of the Jedi High Council on Coruscant, they operate independently and promote their own philosophical views on The Force. The terms academy and enclave are sometimes used interchangeably. However, academies are educational facilities, whereas enclaves provide living quarters and support for fully trained Jedi. An enclave might house it's own Jedi Council, and might have an attached academy. In either case, academies and enclaves are communal facilities, providing living quarters, meeting space, and safe haven to members. Using Academies, Enclaves and Praxeums The decentralized and wide variations in the Jedi teaching techniques and organizations during this era provide Gamemasters with a lot of flexibility in their own games. The Gamemaster might place the campaign in a familiar setting, such as the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine or Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and find plenty of material in this article to support it. The Gamemaster can also create a Jedi training facility populated with characters and backstories of their own devising, giving the Gamemaster the advantage of full control over the characters' fate and interaction with the player characters. Examples include: *'The Solo Master:' A single Jedi Master provides training for one or more apprentices, often on an isolated planet. The Master might be a Jedi Watchman for the planet, or a freethinking Jedi, promoting their own view of The Force without disruptions from the Jedi Council. Their views are not likely to be radically different from other Jedi, such as promoting The Dark Side, but might be thought of as subversive and dangerous to the Council itself. *'The Satellite Academy:' A small teaching facility run by several Jedi Masters and Knights with a small number of students, A satellite academy is attached to a larger or more prominent facility, such as the Jedi Temple on Coruscant or the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. Students might training at this smaller facility for a limited time, or they might be permanent residents, making short trips to the main academy for additional training. These satellites might also provide other Jedi services. The Jedi Tower on Taris is an example of a satellite academy. *'The Regional Enclave:' A moderately sized Jedi enclave that serves as a regional center for Jedi personnel and major contact point for area governments and other organizations to work directly with The Jedi Order. The enclave might not have a Jedi Council of its own, but it will at least have one Jedi Master who is recognized as the leader. The enclave might promote its own view of The Force, or might have considerable influence in the area, ranging from a local presence to planetary or sectorwide influence. 'The Jedi Temple on Coruscant' The most prominent Jedi Academy is located at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, under the auspices of the Jedi High Council. This academy is usually the largest in the Order, but it's size and overall influence fluctuates with political and military events that impact Coruscant. Training methods vary, but the Master and Apprentice model is most often used. 'The Jedi Enclave on Dantooine' The Jedi Enclave on Dantooine is one of the oldest enclaves and academies in the Order. A satellite Council here manages Jedi affairs on nearby worlds in The Outer Rim, and the chambers serve as a meeting place for the Coruscant High Council when the Council is in the area. Many prominent Jedi students if the era study here. The enclave is completely destroyed by Darth Malak during The Jedi Civil War. The site is abandoned and in ruins for many years after the Sith attack, but it is eventually rebuilt. 'The Taris Academy' The Taris Academy, housed in the Jedi Tower on the planet Taris, is an example of a smaller training facility. Early classes vary in size, but in the years immediately before The Mandalorian Wars, it is home to five Masters with a single student each. In addition to teaching, the Masters there contribute to planetary security, with their Padawans keeping justice as part of their training. The Jedi order and local officials do not know that the five Masters are also the First WatchCircle of Krynda's Covenant, sent there to investigate possible Sith threats to the galaxy. When these Masters perceive such a threat from their own students, they murder them and blame the lone surviving student, Zayne Carrick. The academy is closed, and the Jedi are recalled to Coruscant. The building is later used as a headquarters for the Mandalorian invaders until it's destruction by the planetary resistance. The Jedi Covenant An example of the limited reach and effectiveness of the Jedi High Council, the Jedi Covenant is a secret organization established within The Jedi Order. The Jedi High Council on Coruscant is unaware of its existence. The Covenant is wholly dedicated to preventing the return of The Sith. Covenant members depend heavily on Visions and Farseeing for guidance. Their fanatical dedication to this task leads them down paths that most Jedi would never find acceptable. However, they have been able to operate and grow without significant interference for twenty years before the Mandalorian onslaught. Krynda Draay establishes the Jedi Covenant after her perceived failure to recognize the threat Exar Kun represented on the Jedi and the galaxy. Funded by the assets of her dead husband's fortune, she dedicates herself and her new organization to defeating The Sith. To achieve this goal, the Covenant recruits Jedi of many traits and talents. At its core, the Covenant depends on Jedi Consular vision techniques developed by Krynda. She trains other Consulars, organizing them into WatchCircles. They pass significant information on to Jedi Guardians and Jedi Shadows within the Covenant, enabling them to carry out any tasks necessary to support or prevent the Consular's visions from coming true. At least, that is the theory. In reality, the situation is more complex and fluid. Those involved in the Covenant are on constant guard to keep the greater Jedi Order from discovering their activities. Many also have influential connections that they wish to protect or wield, in addition to their own ambitions within the Jedi Order. As such, the flow of information is not as direct as planned, and those acting upon the information are not always those intended in the structure of the Covenant. In some cases, a WatchCircle revealed to the Jedi Order or of the general public can be severed from the organization, framed as a single group of fanatics or wayward Jedi. The Jedi Covenant Hierarchy Krynda Draay and Haazen: Krynda Draay has the power, finances, and will to build the Covenant. She works with Haazen to establish the details and organization. In the years before The Mandalorian Wars, Haazen directs the day-to-day operations of the Covenant, leaving Krynda to concentrate on visions and WatchCircle training. WatchCircles: WatchCircle cells are groups of three to eight Consulars called Seers of the Circle. They typically use Farseeing, Visions, and Krynda's group techniques to foresee the future. Over time, WatchCircles are quietly installed across the galaxy, particularly near locations where Sith threats have been foreseen. Some are devoted to early warnings on various aspects of galactic life, such as the Economic WatchCircle. The WatchCircle of Lucien Draay is known as the First WatchCircle. Other WatchCircles are named for fallen Jedi heroes of the Sith War, such as WatchCircle Vodo for Vodo Siosk-Baas. Executors: Each WatchCircle has a single Jedi Guardian who acts as an Executor, the facilitator who manages logistical details so the WatchCircles can do their job. The Executor is also responsible for reporting the WatchCircle's findings and activities back to Haazen. Executors also operate individually, providing general security for the Covenant. In all cases, these individuals are selected for their inability to use Farseeing or other significant precognitive abilities, so that they do not taint or influence the findings of their WatchCircle. Covenant Shadows: The Covenant Shadows operate at the direction of Haazen, at the request of an Executor, to carry out assignments and missions that a WatchCircle or Executor should not be associated with. When undertaking a mission, the Shadow operates under the Executor's authority, but the Shadow is detached from the Executor's group once the task is complete. Missions include investigating possible Sith-influenced individuals, as well as locating and acquiring Sith Artifacts. They operate alone in most cases. The Shadows are removed from the rolls of the Jedi Order, either through bureaucratic subterfuge, or by being falsely reported dead. They give up their former lives in their dedication to the eradication of The Sith. The only full list of Shadows is kept at the Draay Estate and is maintained by Haazen, Lucien Draay, and a small number of other Guardians involved in logistics.